Elon Musk owned brain computer company, Neuralink Corp, has said that the surgery for its second brain implant went well, and the patient named Alex is now able to design 3D objects and play video games, including Counter Strike 2. According to reports, the procedure has successfully averted an issue that dogged the experience of Noland Arbaugh, the first patient of Neuralink, who faced an unexpected complication of electrode threads retracting from his brain.
Neuranlink in a blog post said, “To reduce the probability of thread retraction in our second participant, we implemented a number of mitigations, including reducing brain motion during the surgery and reducing the gap between the implant and the surface of the brain.”
In the case of the first patient, Neuralink made some software tweaks post the surgery that mitigated the issue to a great extent.
Neuralink Might Get Major Upgrades Soon
The Elon Musk-owned company said that it was working on developing some new capabilities for its brain interface device known as Link which will let patients control their on-screen cursors and digital devices click by click. It added that in the near furture Link will be able to decode multiple simultaneous movement intents and it will also be able to recognise handwriting intent to help its patients write faster.
The company further wrote, “These capabilities would not only help restore digital autonomy for those who are unable to use their limbs, but also restore the ability to communicate for those who are unable to speak, such as people with neurological conditions.”
Currently, the Link device is tailored for patients with quadriplegia and other severe mobility limitations. Elon Musk has mentioned that, in the future, Neuralink implants might enhance the abilities of healthy individuals, potentially aiding in functions like memory enhancement.
The blog post shared details about a patient named Alex, a former automotive technician who sustained a spinal cord injury. After undergoing surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Alex was discharged the following day. According to Neuralink, he is now able to utilize computer-assisted design software to create a custom mount for his Neuralink charger.
Musk has shared his goal of having the device implanted in additional patients by the year's end. These participants are involved in Neuralink’s Prime study, an experimental medical device trial.